I'm excited to announce that the Peaceful Mama book that I co-wrote with Natalie Sager is coming out this May! Just in time for Mother's Day—something to keep in mind for any special Mamas you know! Join me for a casual Peaceful Mama Book launch event on Wednesday, May 9, from 7-9pm at Jayne Boutique at 122 Marion St. in Oak Park, IL. Find out more about the book here. continue reading →

Want a change in our relationships, our parenting, our environment, our well-being? We have to make the change. This is a bit of a paradigm shift. Think of how much energy is wasted worrying, fearing, dwelling on what someone else was doing without even realizing that nothing we do or think or say can change a person or situation. It comes from us. When we stop keeping score in our marriage, our partner stops keeping score. When we are more thoughtful, patient, and lighthearted in our parenting, our children responded this way. When…continue reading →

What if the story in our own head, that drives the choices we make day-to-day isn’t serving us or is even against us? How could asking different questions begin to shift that storyline: What am I supposed to see and learn here instead of dwelling in 'why me'? How is this actually working for me right now instead of focusing only on what's not working? Can I find the humor in the craziness of this, knowing that nobody said it was going to be perfect all the time? How would life be different…continue reading →

Our own level of peace and wellbeing has such a big impact on the people we share our world with, especially the little people, our children. They feel what we feel and it’s up to us to take responsibly for the energy we're putting out. It's easy to blame our wellbeing on stuff outside of us that isn't going right. The harder choice is to choose differently. To chose love in the midst of it. What we give, we receive. Our emotions are real. This doesn't mean put the rosy-colored glasses and and…continue reading →

One way to build a more compassionate and conscious family is through mindfulness. Mindfulness is the simple technique of paying attention to the present moment in a nonjudgemental way. Once we calm the thoughts in our head, we are able to tap into a part of ourselves that we lose sight of in our day-to-day busyness and schedules. That part of us that is truth, kindness, creativity, peace, and love. Enabling connect within and with others in a meaningful, positive way and even decrease anxiety and increase our happiness. Mindfulness is available to all…continue reading →

It's often in the little ordinary things, the everyday, where we find the joy. Sometimes we get so caught up in the big things. That we lose sight of all the little things that lead up to the big event. Thanksgiving dinner is a great reminder of this. Sitting down to the table and eating the big dinner is wonderful. But it was the little conversations, the flurry of activity in the kitchen leading up, the laughter, the connectedness, that we create the stories that fill us up. That bring meaning. We just…continue reading →

When I started my blog EveryDayEveryMom almost two years ago, I had no idea what direction it would take. I wanted to capture my experiences in motherhood before it passed by—as many mothers before me warned me that it would. It's true that in what seems like a blink of an eye—even though the days themselves seemed to last lifetimes. My children have grown from babies to now toddler, preschool and kindergarten-aged. I see how much I have grown too. Here are a few truths I have learned along the way Being a parent is truly different…continue reading →

Mindfulness helps us strengthen our attention skills so we bring more awareness to the thoughts and beliefs in our mind that fuel our reactions and behavior. Once you know how to harness and focus your attention—you can get out of your head and into this moment. You awaken your innate ability for happiness, no matter what life throws your way. Mindfulness strengthens our Three Attention Skills Concentration power: Ability to focus our attention on what we choose in any given time. Sensory clarity: Ability to track and explore your sensory experience in real time. Detecting…continue reading →

Want to stay focused on what matters most? Be centered through the ups and downs? Seeking a happier, healthier, more purpose-filled Life? Mindfulness is one way to achieve these things— it's a set of attention skills that you can learn and grow and integrate into your day. It’s like a gym for your mind, and it can radically transform your life—leading to better health, more connected relationships, greater productivity, performance, purpose, and creativity. Join us as we learn about mindfulness in a simple, friendly way: The science behind it How to develop your…continue reading →

Our senses help us in becoming more mindful. When we are seeing the bright colors of a leaf, hearing the sound of our child's voice as she shares a story, smelling our coffee before we drink it, touching the breakfast dishes as we wash them, or tasting the juiciness of the berries in our cereal. We are in this moment. We cannot smell or hear later on. We are doing it right now. This gives us sensory clarity—he ability to track and explore our sensory experience in real time. One of the three skills of mindfulness.…continue reading →

One way to feel more at peace in our busy days, is to be tuned in to the things that fill us up. Awareness is the first step. Our days will be busy no matter what. When we choose to fill ourself us up first, we show up as the highest version of ourself at home, at work, in our relationships—in all the different areas of our life. Join me for a PeacefulMama workshop next Friday, August 18 at 10am at New Moms (formerly Parenthesis) in Oak Park! We’ll have time to reflect…continue reading →

It’s when our children aren’t cooperating and we’re experiencing stress in our lives that we need to practice mindful, conscious parenting more than ever. Yet, it's during these overwhelming times that we lose our Zen self. Whatever you want to call it—being calm, centered, mindful, or zen—requires daily attention, just like anything good does. Cathy Cassani Adams and Todd Adams, the hosts of the Zen Parenting Radio, define Zen parenting as: “As a Zen Parent you learn to trust your instincts, focus on what is working, and find a healthy life balance. You make it…continue reading →

Little opportunities to give a little bit of ourselves through our time, patience, and love are all around us. And helping others actually helps ourself by activating that part of the brain that releases the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. Meet Janice Lodato, a mother of one who works full-time but also has a Reiki, grief coaching, and meditation instruction practice on the side. She is busy enough, why does she give time to this practice? Helping others in this way energizes her and fills her up. While we know giving to others makes us feel good.…continue reading →

We were at a crowded indoor play space, where many of us find ourselves during the cold and rainy months. I was complaining about the crowds, how far away we had to park, how chaotic it seemed. Then I realized something… my kids weren’t complaining at all. They didn't even seem to notice these negatives that were consuming me. I paused and changed the way I felt about the experience in front if me. By accepting what is, we can let go of our expectations about how we wanted it to be or…continue reading →

The idea of giving ourselves up when become mothers doesn’t work. It doesn't work because first we have to take care of ourselves, then we can help others. We’re only as good as how we feel inside, our energy level, our mindset. Meet Shanna O’Brien, mom of 3 who talks candidly about her struggle with losing weight, feeling unhappy, and just waiting for her days to end. She was looking on Facebook wondering why her life was such a mess when everyone else looked like they had it all together. Then she made…continue reading →